comes home, which is not
often. They say that if his brain hadn't softened a little he would ha'
died--'twas that saved his life.'

'What's this I hear about his daughter? Is she really hired companion to
the new owner?'

'Now that's a curious thing again, these two girls being so fond of one
another; one of 'em a dissenter, and all that, and t'other a De Stancy.
O no, not hired exactly, but she mostly lives with Miss Power, and goes
about with her, and I dare say Miss Power makes it wo'th her while.
One can't move a step without the other following; though judging by
ordinary volks you'd think 'twould be a cat-and-dog friendship rather.'

'But 'tis not?'

''Tis not; they be more like lovers than maid and maid. Miss Power is
looked up to by little De Stancy as if she were a god-a'mighty, and Miss
Power lets her love her to her heart's content. But whether Miss Power
loves back again I can't zay, for she's as deep as the North Star.'

The landlord here left the stranger to go to some other part of the
house, and Somerset drew near to the glass partition to gain a glimpse
of a man whose interest in the neighbourhood seemed to have arisen so
simultaneously with his own. But the inner room was empty: the man had
apparently departed by another door.

VI.

The telegraph had almost the attributes of a human being at Stancy
Castle. When its bell rang people rushed to the old tapestried chamber
allotted to it, and waited its pleasure with all the deference due to
such a novel inhabitant of that ancestral pile. This happened on the
following afternoon about four o'clock, while Somerset was sketching in
the room adjoining that occupied by the instrument. Hearing its call, he
looked in to learn if anybody were attending, and found Miss De Stancy
bending over it.

She welcomed him without the least embarrassment. 'Another message,' she
said.--'"Paula to Charlotte.--Have returned to Markton. Am starting for
home. Will be at the gate between four and five if possible."'

Miss De Stancy blushed with pleasure when she raised her eyes from the
machine. 'Is she not thoughtful to let me know beforehand?'

Somerset said she certainly appeared to be, feeling at the same time
that he was not in possession of sufficient data to make the opinion of
great value.

'Now I must get everything ready, and order what she will want, as Mrs.
Goodman is away. What will she want? Dinner would be best--she has had
no lunch, I know; or tea